International Day Spotlights STEM for Girls: Innocentia Mahlangu Launches Lesedi and Ayama’s Engineering Adventure
● International Day of Women and Girls in Science, held annually on the 11th of February, highlights gender gaps in STEM, with women holding 33% of research positions globally, dropping to 12% in engineering[1].
● Astoundingly, only 35% of STEM graduates worldwide are women; in AI, just 22% of professionals are female[2].
● Sub-Saharan Africa reports less than 30% female STEM graduates, reflecting cultural and access barriers[3].
● While studies show girls initially perform equally or better than boys in mathematics and science at primary levels, their interest wanes during adolescence due to societal biases and lack of encouragement, limiting girls’ opportunities and interest in STEM education, a 2024 UNESCO report highlights.
11 February 2026: Science and equal opportunities for women are key to the world’s success. Despite recent progress, women and girls remain underrepresented in STEM fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11th of February celebrates women in these industries and helps address this gender gap.
This year’s theme, From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap, shifts the focus from identifying problems to implementing solutions, highlighting the need to move beyond simply envisioning a better future to taking concrete actions that have a measurable impact.
In keeping with this, acclaimed South African civil engineer and author Innocentia Mahlangu has announced the launch of her inspiring new children’s book, Lesedi and Ayama’s Engineering Adventure.
This vibrant tale introduces young readers to the wonders of engineering through the eyes of two curious girls, 9-year-old Lesedi and 12-year-old Ayama, perfectly aligning with global efforts to ignite passion for STEM among the next generation.
Lesedi and Ayama’s Engineering Adventure follows protagonists Lesedi and Ayama, as they embark on exciting problem-solving quests, building bridges, designing sustainable structures, and exploring real-world engineering challenges. Through playful storytelling and vivid illustrations, the book demystifies the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields for girls aged 6-10, showing how creativity, curiosity, and resilience turn big dreams into reality.
This simple tale encourages children to explore different careers in STEM, learn how engineers make a difference, and discover how anyone, no matter who they are, can become a changemaker.
Mahlangu crafted this story to counter the underrepresentation of women in engineering, fostering early confidence in technical skills and innovation.
Critical Role of Early STEM Education
In South Africa and beyond, only about 30% of STEM students are female, yet women engineers like Mahlangu drive transformative projects in infrastructure and mining. Early exposure through books like this combats stereotypes, boosts enrolment in science programs, and addresses skill shortages in key industries. As UNESCO champions this day, Mahlangu’s launch underscores the urgency: empowering girls in STEM today builds equitable, sustainable futures tomorrow.
About Innocentia Mahlangu : A Trailblazing Engineer
Innocentia Mahlangu (Pr.Eng, PMP, MSc Eng, AgilePM, FSAICE, MBA) is an award-winning and internationally recognised Professional Project Manager & Senior Civil Engineer. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Wits University, as well as an MBA from Maastricht University/ MSM. Innocentia has held positions such as design engineer, resident engineer as well as roles in project and construction management.
In her current role at Hatch, she is a specialist project manager, overseeing global projects in the mining, metals and infrastructure sectors as part of the project delivery group. Innocentia has been elected to serve on the Wits University Executive Committee of Convocation in an advisory role.
Due to her contributions to engineering, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) has recognised her as its youngest fellow in 2023. She was also named as the Global Rising leader by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 2022, as well as a PMI Future 50. She now serves as a vice president at SAICE and also serves on the board of the PMI South Africa Chapter. In 2024, Innocentia was named as 1 of 100 top inspiring women in mining (WIM100) in the UK. Additionally, she is also a founder of SHEngineers, to advance women in male-dominated careers. She was recently recognised by the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO), receiving recognition under the Women in Engineering Excellence category. She is a TEDxSpeaker and delivered a TEDxTalk titled Mobilising Project Professionals for Climate Change. She is also the Author of Unleash Your Unique Advantage, a book dedicated to advancing women in male-dominated fields of engineering, construction, mining and project management, as well as the author of Lesedi & Ayama’s Engineering Adventure, which seeks to encourage more young girls to take up careers in STEM.
In her spare time, Mahlangu is dedicated to mentoring young female engineers as she’s passionate about helping more girls and women find their path in engineering, and using what she’s learnt to make the world a better place.
Lesedi and Ayama’s Engineering Adventure is available for order at https://innocentiamahlangu.com/product/lesedi-ayamas-engineering-adventure/